Plan ahead for healthier meals
Planning can really help you have healthy meals and snacks no matter how busy things get.
Here are six ways to make planning part of your weekly schedule:
1. Give yourself time to plan
Set aside time each week to make a meal plan. Keep to it each week. Once you get into the habit of planning, you will need less time. This will save you time in the supermarket and probably reduce food waste too. Think about:
- How many meals you need to prepare for the week
- When you need to make quick meals or prepare them in advance
2. Check what you have
Before you start, check what ingredients you already have in your cupboard, fridge or freezer. This may even give you some recipe inspiration. For example, if you have eggs you could make an omelette. Use up vegetables with a stir-fry.
3. Make it fun with favourites
- Make a go-to list of meals that you and your family enjoy
- Introduce new recipes when you have extra time, and if it’s a hit add it to your favourites.
- Get the kids involved and ask them what they would like to eat. Kids are more likely to eat meals that they have helped to plan.
- Try a themed night, for example Mexican Monday, Italian Tuesday, Fishy Fridays or Something New Saturday.
4. Use up your leftovers
- Plan meals that can be refrigerated and heated up or eaten cold the next day such as pasta bake, soup, shepherd’s pie, curry, lasagne or beef stew.
- Use leftover vegetables in an omelette, soup or salad, or add leftover meat to a curry or stir-fry.
- Remember leftovers stored in the fridge must be used within three days.
5. Cook in bulk
- Cook extra and refrigerate or freeze the leftovers. Pies, curries, stews and casseroles all freeze well.
- If you are using the oven, think about what else you can cook at the same time. If you are doing a casserole, you could cook some chicken breasts to go in sandwiches.
6. Make your ingredients work
- Chose recipes that use the same key ingredients to save time and money by reducing the amount of food you need to buy.
- Introduce variety by picking 2-3 main vegetables and adding them to a meat, pasta or fish dish. For example, peppers, broccoli and sweetcorn can be added to a beef stir-fry but can also be used to make a vegetable pasta bake or served with meat or fish.
Get started with quick and easy dinner recipes
The following recipe ideas should take no more than 20 minutes to cook and prepare, perfect for when you get home from work or with the kids:
- Grilled fish with boiled potatoes and vegetables (try frozen vegetables as they’re quickly cooked in the microwave and create little or no waste)
- Stir-fry some vegetables with some rice or noodles
- Pasta with olive oil, garlic and chilli. Add some grilled chicken or salmon for variety
Here's a simple 5-day planner to get you started, and below a three-week meal plan for when you really need to plan ahead.
Download the 5-day meal plan
Three-week meal plan
Week 1
-
Monday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
1 or 2 cereal wheat biscuits with low-fat fortified (added vitamins) milk. Add some fruit like berries/banana/raisins for variety |
| Breakfast on the run |
Banana or a handful of raisins with a slice of toast and a low-fat yogurt drink |
| Snack (Little break) |
Low-fat yogurt |
| Lunch |
2 slices of wholemeal bread with a low-fat cheese slice and tomato |
| Snack |
Fresh fruit |
| Dinner |
Shepherd’s pie with sweetcorn and green beans |
-
Tuesday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
A bowl of cereal oat biscuits with low-fat fortified milk. Add some fruit like berries/banana/raisins for variety |
| Breakfast on the run |
Banana, cereal bar and a glass of low-fat fortified milk |
| Snack (Little break) |
Orange segments |
| Lunch |
Pitta bread with cooked ham, low-fat mayonnaise, lettuce and cucumber |
| Snack |
1 thin slice of fruit brack or banana bread |
| Dinner |
Lamb curry with vegetables and boiled rice |
-
Wednesday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
A bowl of oat cereal with a teaspoon of nutmeg or cinnamon |
| Breakfast on the run |
Breakfast milkshake: 200ml low-fat fortified milk or a low-fat yogurt blended with fruit |
| Snack (Little break) |
Banana |
| Lunch |
Tortilla wrap with a slice of chicken, relish and lettuce and a sliced apple |
| Snack |
2 rice cakes |
| Dinner |
Spaghetti bolognaise |
-
Thursday
| Meal | |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
A bowl of flake-type cereal with low-fat fortified milk. Add banana for variety |
| Breakfast on the run |
Apple, a handful of dry cereal and a low-fat yoghurt drink |
| Snack (Little break) |
Cheese |
| Lunch |
Pasta with tuna, sweetcorn, spring onion and tomato ketchup |
| Snack |
Packet of plain popcorn |
| Dinner |
Baked fish with vegetables and pasta |
-
Friday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
A bowl of porridge needn’t be boring. Add honey or yogurt |
| Breakfast on the run |
Slice of wholemeal toast thinly spread with jam or reduced-fat spread |
| Snack (Little break) |
Carrot sticks |
| Lunch |
Brown roll with mashed hard-boiled egg, lettuce, peppers and tomato |
| Snack |
Roast breast of chicken (remove the skin), carrot, parsnip and broccoli with a baked potato |
| Dinner |
Spaghetti bolognaise |
-
Saturday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
Slice of wholemeal toast with baked beans or scrambled egg |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
Low-fat yoghurt |
| Lunch |
1 wholemeal bap with a lean grilled rasher, tomato and avocado |
| Snack |
Small bowl of homemade soup |
| Dinner |
Stir-fried pork with peppers, mushrooms, onions and noodles |
-
Sunday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
Omelette with lots of vegetables |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
Chopped apple |
| Lunch |
Cooked rice, lettuce, tomato, low-fat cheese or tuna |
| Snack |
Low-fat yogurt |
| Dinner |
Chicken casserole with vegetables and boiled potatoes |
Week 2
-
Monday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
1-2 Cereal Wheat biscuits with low fat fortified milk, banana, glass of water |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
Handful of nuts |
| Lunch |
Tortilla wrap with slice of chicken, relish, lettuce and tomato. Pear |
| Snack |
Small low-fat yogurt |
| Dinner |
Chilli con carne with rice and sweetcorn. Glass of low fat milk |
-
Tuesday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
A bowl of porridge with low fat fortified milk. Add a teaspoon of nutmeg or cinnamon for variety. 2 plums and a glass of water |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
Thin slice of fruit brack |
| Lunch |
Rice salad with tuna. Small yoghurt and cucumber sticks. |
| Snack |
Glass of low fat milk |
| Dinner |
Spanish omelette with tomato salad. Glass of low fat milk |
-
Wednesday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with jam or marmalade. An orange. Water |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
Cherry tomatoes |
| Lunch |
1 wholemeal bap with ham & fow fat mayonaisse. Small yoghurt |
| Snack |
2 rice cakes |
| Dinner |
Pasta and salmon bake with mixed green salad. Glass fruit juice |
-
Thursday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with baked beans or scrambled egg and small glass of fruit juice. Small yoghurt |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
Small bag of popcorn |
| Lunch |
2 slices of wholemeal bread with slice of low fat cheese and tomato. 2 plums |
| Snack |
Small bag of plain popcorn |
| Dinner |
Vegetable casserole. Small yoghurt |
-
Friday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with baked beans or scrambled egg and small glass of fruit juice. Small yoghurt |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
2 rice cakes |
| Lunch |
2 slices of wholemeal bread with some chicken and green salad, 2 kiwis and a small glass of low fat milk |
| Snack |
Sugar free jelly |
| Dinner |
Tuna quick bake with mixed green salad. Melon chunks with yoghurt |
-
Saturday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
1-2 cereal wheat biscuits with low fat fortified milk, banana, glass of water |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
|
| Lunch |
Beans and cheese baked potato. Tinned peaches |
| Snack |
Small bowl of homemade soup |
| Dinner |
Pasta Siciliana with mixed pepper salad. Glass of low fat milk |
-
Sunday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
1-2 pancakes with lemon and honey and small glass of fruit juice |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
|
| Lunch |
Farmhouse vegetable soup and wholemeal brown bread. Small yoghurt & fruit salad |
| Snack |
1 thin slice of fruit brack/banana bread |
| Dinner |
Beef stew and mashed potatoes. Glass of low fat milk. A pear |
Week 3
-
Monday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with jam or marmalade. Glass of low fat milk. Pear |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
2 mandarins |
| Lunch |
Wholemeal brown bread, tinned salmon and tomato with mayonaisse. Carrot sticks, small yoghurt |
| Snack |
|
| Dinner |
Lasagne with baked potato and mixed green salad. Tinned fruit cocktail |
-
Tuesday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
A bowl of porridge with low fat fortified milk. Add honey or yoghurt for something new. Banana |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
Handful of nuts |
| Lunch |
2 slices wholemeal brown bread, boiled egg, mayonaisse & lettuce. Yoghurt |
| Snack |
|
| Dinner |
Vegetable stir-fry with noodles. Glass of low fat milk |
-
Wednesday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with scrambled egg. Pear and small yoghurt |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
Carrot sticks |
| Lunch |
Cooked pasta with tuna and sweetcorn. Grapes. Low fat milk |
| Snack |
|
| Dinner |
Family fish pie with broccoli and cauliflower. Fruit salad and yoghurt |
-
Thursday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
A bowl of porridge with low fat fortified milk. Add some fruit like berries/banana/raisins for variety |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
A small yoghurt |
| Lunch |
Tortilla wrap with ham and cream cheese and spring onion. Banana |
| Snack |
|
| Dinner |
Grilled pork chops with mashed potato and frozen mixed vegetables. 2 plain biscuits |
-
Friday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
A bowl of high fibre breakfast cereal with low fat fortified milk. 2 mandarin oranges |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
Sugar free jelly |
| Lunch |
2 slices of wholemeal bread with slice of low fat cheese and tomato. Apple |
| Snack |
|
| Dinner |
Chicken and tomato risotto with lettuce, tomato, onion and pepper salad |
-
Saturday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
Omelette with lots of fresh/frozen vegetables and small glass of fruit juice. Small yoghurt |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
|
| Lunch |
Minestrone soup with wholemeal brown bread. Glass of low fat milk. 2 plums |
| Snack |
|
| Dinner |
Homemade beef burgers with homemade oven chips. Low fat milk. Tomato and cucumber salad |
-
Sunday
| Meal |
Food |
| Breakfast at home |
1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with beans and small glass of fruit juice |
| Breakfast on the run |
|
| Snack (Little break) |
|
| Lunch |
Macaroni cheese. Grapes |
| Snack |
|
| Dinner |
Vegetable casserole. Stewed apple and yoghurt |
